Wow what a exciting test match. But the rain gods won again. But we can take a pts win.
Pak 455, Guptill 13.2-2-32-3. NZ 0/90 Watling 60no. We needed 208, and with 23 ov left, needed another 118.
Still its a good result, but we do still have batting problems, and pressure must be on from Ingram and Broom.
India beat SL in a high scoring ODI game. India batted first,7/414 Sehwag 146. SL 8/411 Dilshan 160.
My team from NZ and Pakistan, Farhat, Butt, Yousuf, Taylor, Umar, Vettori, McCullum, Aamer, Bond, Asif, Kaniera. Ok, only 4 kiwis, but these are the best players. It still doesn’t stop me saying how even they are!!!!
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My Black Caps player ratings:
Vettori 9. Ok, his tactics were again too negative but he made better choices then Yousuf. Who around the world can take regular wickets and a bat at 6 and score hundreds. He bowls far more overs then Watson and Kallis so that leaves him and Shakib viaing for test allrounder of the world.
McIntosh 6 His best batting was with Watling before the rain but it took too long to find form, He fails too often for me due to technical issues. His stats are full of great seasons and dud ones.
Watling 7.5 Only one test but what a little cameo to set up the run chase. Will play vs Bang but may struggle against Johnson and co. Good luck to him.
Guptill 4 Flattered to deceive again. Has the talent but not the mental ability to handle the new red ball. Must be given a go at 3 cause he’s still got the game compared with wannabes.
Flynn 2 Hopelessly out of form. Doesn’t have many shots but has compact defense but needs to find the end of the tunnel and strangely 20-20 may help.
Taylor 9 Still plays the odd ‘dumbass’ shot and seems to have a problem with the nervous 90’s which I’m sure Flynn and co would love to have. Still a fine series and better at adjusting to situation.
Fulton 1 Has a first class ave of 42 somehow! Will never play again I’d say.
McCullum 7.5 or 8 Had a very good series with the gloves; including a couple of stunners. Again a mixed bag with the bat but that the way it will always be. Shot of the series in Napier was a brutal pull off Gul I think that went for 6.
Elliot 3.5 His game is made for one day cricket were his dibblies are hard to score from and the pitches are flat. Not so Test cricket where neither major skill is quite good enough.
Bond 9.5 We would have won the series 2-1 at least if he stayed fit. Still that’s sport. An amazing comeback after just one first class game.
Shane, please dont retire from test cricket until after this summer. It’s only 2 tests vs Aussie which sucks but if Bond plays a 1-0 win is a real chance.
Tuffey 7 A really good return to Tests. His accuracy is impressive and his batting is good enough for 8. Still he doesn’t have that extra something like reserve swing to get lots of wickets quickly.
O’Brien 8 So sad he’s retiring just when he’s reached his career peak. A lesson to youngones. Work hard and keep trying and one day you might make the top. He mixes speed and aggression. In Wellington he had a great spell after our 99 to make people feel better.
Southee 6 Toiled which is good because he needs to learn to bowl tightly in batting conditions such as Napier. Will he be a great bowler or not?
Martin 6 A solid series but I think struggles to stay the distance of 3 game series these days. He was very good in Dunedin yet bowled short and quite slowly in Napier.
So my best players where Bond, Vettori, Taylor and O’Brien. Of course O’brien is gone, Bond who knows. Vettori has this huge workload. Martin is nearly finished so the pressure is on guys like Guptill and Southee to step up very soon. One thing to look forward to: Jesse Ryder has shown he has the game to be a world star, now he has tostay fit, sober (enough) and his mind on the job often enough to help win us test matches.
For Bangledesh Ryder will replace Flynn I’d say and maybe fitness permitting another chance to play James Franklin as the allrounder at 6. In the bowlersthe chance is there to try somebody new. Can’t say who at this point but by Feb I may have a name.